sleepydog25
Been here awhile
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
Honestly, I could have highlighted this entire post as it's one of the best written encapsulations of how I, too, feel about Disney. Sometimes I applaud Disney, though most times anymore it's when a CM has gone out of his or her way to make a special moment for a guest. When I see or read a story about a CM who quieted a special needs child or who patiently accompanies a woman with high anxiety on an enclosed ride, how can I not be touched and tear up? Conversely, I get highly annoyed when a new event is introduced and obviously it's a money-grab, or they make a decision to increase their corporate bottom line by removing things that helped make them special to begin. Here's an, admittedly, fairly inconsequential example. When Roaring Fork was reopened after being refurbished, they had removed their made-to-order Mickey waffles that came with a few fruit sauces and toppings of your choice. Yes, you can get them still, but they're made and kept heated until served and the "bananas Foster" sauce is a sugary goop with virtually no bananas. Why? It's cheaper. You don't have to pay an extra employee just to make waffles, and you can add cheap sugar and flavoring as a substitute for an actual sauce. Some might call that a petty beef, but for me it's indicative of their mindset for all financial decisions. Disney draws a line in the sand to see if there will be anyone with enough temerity to step over that imaginary line. If not--and that's often the case--then they proceed to the next calculated move. Again, this doesn't make Disney evil--greedy perhaps but that's a whole other argument--but it violates the standards I've set for them, the standards I originally believed they tried to uphold.The reality is that there are two Disney's that we experience as Disney timeshare owners.
So when executives eliminate the Sunset Boulevard CMs because it's more cost effective to not have them, I will lament this business decision. When Disney leans so heavily on the college program that most CMs are overworked, poorly paid college kids who will in turn be sometimes bitter, and by nature of being transient, fail to feel committed to playing the role, I will bemoan the failure of training in customer service. And when the board of the management company at Disney's timeshare decides that increasing the lockoff premium - defying what every member knows to be true - that 1BRs are readily available, I will write letters and have conversations with them about how this has the markings of a pure money grab.
Disney is not a big evil corporation. That's an oversimplification of a complex system. But to believe that every decision made is to serve the interest of the guest is equally oversimplifying The Walt Disney Company, Inc. To suggest that they're trying to do everything at a reasonable cost is naive. Their job is to see how far they can push the line until we decide we don't want to play. They tried it with the Star Wars DVC event at Epcot. I don't see how anyone can look at that and possibly suggest that this was a decision to deliver good entertainment at a reasonable cost. The membership voted with their wallets and the event was canned.
Like most relationships in life, my relationship with Disney is a nuanced one. And the same way I love the country that gave my penniless, immigrant family real opportunities to climb the socio-economic ladder - where I'll pay my taxes, vote, and be vocal about policies I feel are against the core of what makes America great; I'll pay my dues, I'll attend the dog and pony in December, and I'll voice when I feel there are policies being implemented that are detrimental to the magic.
And you can bet I'll turn here to this community to vent.
I applaud Disney the company when appropriate, too. The new gondola system may not work out, and I understand the ire of some, but it could wind up being quite the cachet for certain resorts, and it should help relieve the overcrowding on buses and boats to a degree. It's in keeping with their actually attempting to set the standard (rather than their of late simply meeting standards) vis-a-vis other parks. Smart idea, at least for now. However, when they denigrate their quality of experience by overcharging, overcrowding, and reducing quality (food comes to mind!), then I must voice my concerns. It's the human way.